Associate dean and Cal Poly Pomona alumna Cordelia Ontiveros has been named the interim dean of the College of Engineering, effective Jan. 4, 2016.
“Dr. Ontiveros has always championed and embraced the mission of the California State University, providing students access to a high-quality and affordable education,” says Provost Sylvia Alva. “Her wide-ranging experience, knowledge of the college, and demonstrated commitment to student success will serve the College of Engineering well, as the national search for the permanent dean unfolds.”
Ontiveros has served as associate dean in the College of Engineering since 2007, with responsibility for curriculum, enrollment, student advising and K-12 outreach programs.
“I am very honored to have been selected for this college leadership opportunity during this time of transition,” says Ontiveros. “We have amazing and dedicated faculty and staff, who provide access to nationally ranked, high-quality academic programs for our students.”
Ontiveros joined the Cal Poly Pomona faculty in 1984 as an assistant professor in the chemical and materials engineering department. She was promoted to associate professor and then full professor, with tenure.
Among her administrative posts at Cal Poly Pomona, Ontiveros served as department chair and associate vice president for faculty affairs. She accepted a position in 1997 at the CSU Office of the Chancellor as senior director for academic human resources.
Outside of academia, she has experience at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and at the Getty Oil Co. Research Center. She is a registered professional engineer in chemical engineering with the state of California.
Ontiveros earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from Princeton University. She received her bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Ontiveros attended Harvard’s Management Development Program and was selected as a CSU Executive Fellow and an American Council on Education Fellow.
The current dean, Mahyar Amouzegar, announced in July that he is returning to the classroom. He will join the faculty in the industrial and manufacturing engineering department on Jan. 3, 2016.